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The chairman of the state ethics commission says the state auditor will handle an outside investigation into circumstances surrounding two lawsuits filed against the agency, as well as unspecified personnel issues. The board of the ethics commission voted three weeks ago to request an outside investigation.

A new audit shows that Georgia paid workers who retired, quit, transferred or were laid off $43 million last year in unused vacation time. The unused leave cost state taxpayers closer to $60 million when also including payroll taxes and payments to the health benefits system.

Georgia allows retired teachers to return to work to so that classrooms are never short of educators. But allowing retirees to teach doesn’t cost extra, because the state still has to pay someone to do the job, according to a state audit. Although demand for teachers is down because of the recession, the state still has shortages in math, science, special education and foreign languages teachers.